Marie Le Mounier, « Colonisation-décolonisation : images et idéologies dans les livres de lecture et dans les manuels de français langue étrangère », Documents pour l’histoire du français langue étrangère ou seconde, 71 , 2025.
True “educational forces” capable of shaping public opinion, images played a central role in mobilizing French subjects for the colonial cause. While the intensive use of visual materials in this context has been widely documented, their role in promoting imperial ideas within dominated territories remains underexplored. In this process, images used in educational contexts played a significant role. This article examines the place and role of iconography in a selection of textbooks used for teaching and learning French in Africa between 1896 and 1980. Through repetitive and controlled patterns, these images contributed to shaping the personal, cultural, and linguistic identities of colonized populations.
